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Superstorm Sandy legacy: Recovery far from equal on NY shore

FILE - Five years after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the area with a huge storm surge, concrete baffle walls, left, and a sandy berm, right, designed to protect beachfront homes from future hurricanes, are in place in the Belle Harbor neighborhood of the Rockaways in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. After Superstorm Sandy struck New York's Rockaway Peninsula, there was hope that the rebuilding effort would give a long-awaited boost to some long-neglected communities on the 11-mile strip. Ten years later, residents of the predominantly Black Edgemere neighborhood, east of Belle Harbor, haven't seen the type of redevelopment that they'd hoped for. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) An elevated home stands in the background of an overgrown abandoned lot 10 years after the area was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in the Edgemere neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. Edgemere's story is one that has played out in other U.S. cities after major natural disasters. The billions of dollars in recovery money that come pouring in often come last, and have their weakest impact, in communities of color. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Children play in a skatepark along the beachfront west of the Edgemere neighborhood 10 years after the area was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. "You go west, what do they have? They have a skatepark. They have a dog park. They have concession stands," said Sonia Moise, an Edgemere resident who leads the neighborhood community board. "But what do we have on the east end? What do we have?" she asked, her voice rising. "We have homeless shelters. We have hotels that house homeless people." (AP Photo/John Minchillo) People watch sand dredging work, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project aims to construct a reinforced dune system designed to block storm surge. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) A person looks over artificial sand dunes, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project aims to construct a reinforced dune system designed to block storm surge. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) A bottle collector pushes his cart past an overgrown lot damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in the Edgemere neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. Edgemere's story is one that has played out in other U.S. cities after major natural disasters. The billions of dollars in recovery money that come pouring in often come last, and have their weakest impact, in communities of color. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Around the clock sand dredging work continues, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project aims to construct a reinforced dune system designed to block storm surge. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Weeds overgrow a sidewalk beside an abandoned lot 10 years after the area was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in the Edgemere neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. Edgemere's story is one that has played out in other U.S. cities after major natural disasters. The billions of dollars in recovery money that come pouring in often come last, and have their weakest impact, in communities of color. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Sonia Moise, a resident of the Edgemere neighborhood, stands by an overgrown empty lot on a residential street damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. "They tell me that we're one peninsula — no we're not. It's a tale of two peninsulas," said Edgemere resident Moise, whose home filled with seawater during Sandy, her car carried off by the tide. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A person surfs, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. While some parts of Rockaway Beach are currently closed due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project, others continue to be popular with surfers and other beachgoers. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) A pipe deposits sand and water from the ocean floor as sand dredging work continues, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project aims to construct a reinforced dune system designed to block storm surge. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Dexter Davis, a neighborhood resident, walks the street alongside a recently built home elevated to protect against floodwaters 10 years after the area was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in the Edgemere neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. There are no skateparks in Edgemere. No coffee shops. In fact, said Davis, a former NYC police officer, laments that there are few places for young people to go. "The things that they pump into the other communities around us are more positive (AP Photo/John Minchillo) New luxury housing developments are in process of construction along the beachfront sand dunes, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. City officials say they've made progress in wetland restoration and other coastal flooding projects after Superstorm Sandy, raised more than 100 homes against flooding. Stretches of the wooden boardwalk that was washed away has been replaced with a concrete promenade along the beach, which is currently being restored after years of delays. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Dexter Davis, a neighborhood resident, walks the street between two abandoned residential lots 10 years after the area was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in the Edgemere neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. There are no skateparks in Edgemere. No coffee shops. In fact, said Davis, a former NYC police officer, laments that there are few places for young people to go. "The things that they pump into the other communities around us are more positive (AP Photo/John Minchillo)